Try running the game from an iso using cdrwin to make the iso of FF7.... THis will help alleviate the sound problems slowing down before random fights.... Use the internal sound pluggin... here is my config for FF7 and I have a voodoo 5 5500 agp...
Lewpy's Glide³ Plugin Configuration Information v1.33
-----------------------------------------------------
Computer Information
OS : Microsoft Windows 98 SE (v4.10 Build 2222)
DirectX : DirectX 8 or better installed
Processor : AMD AMD Athlon(tm) Processor, 998Mhz (1 off) (00/0642)
64kb L1-I, 64kb L1-D, 256kb L2 (on-chip)
Memory : 256Mb
Core Emulator
ePSXe : D:\EPSXE\EPSXECUTORTOOL.DLL
: 02/06/2001 22:18, 98304 bytes
*------*----------------------*---------*------------------*
| Type | Name | Version | Date |
*------*----------------------*---------*------------------*
| BIOS | SCPH1001.BIN | | 11/07/1997 05:38 |
| CDR | W9XCDRCORE | 0.0 | Plugin Not Found |
| GPU | gpupec.dll | 1.3 | 29/01/2001 00:07 |
| SPU | SPUCORE | 0.0 | Plugin Not Found |
*------*----------------------*---------*------------------*
*-----------------------------*---------------------*
| ePSXe Configuration Item | Current Setting |
*-----------------------------*---------------------*
| Sound Enabled | Yes |
| CDDA Enabled | Yes |
| XA Enabled | Yes |
| XA Read Enabled | Yes |
| SPU IRQ Hack | Yes |
| CDROM Drive Letter | F |
| CDROM Accurate Timing | No |
| Disable CDROM Status | No |
| Disable CDROM RT Status | No |
| MDEC Enabled | Yes |
| MDEC Timing Enabled | Yes |
| SIO IRQ Always Enabled | Yes |
| Country | AutoDetect |
*-----------------------------*---------------------*
Glide³
Board : Voodoo5 (tm)
Version : 3.10.00.0674
File : C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\glide3x.dll
: 16/01/2001 12:38, 348160 bytes
*-----------------------------*---------------------*
| Plugin Configuration Item | Current Setting |
*-----------------------------*---------------------*
| Active Configuration | 1 |
| Active 3dfx Card | 1 |
| Enable HotKeys | Yes |
| Resolution | 640x480 |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz |
| Emulate MASK Bit | Yes |
| Dynamic Texture Caching | Yes |
| Custom FrameCap | 70Hz | <-------------
| On-Screen Display | Off |
| Frame Skip | Disabled |
| FrameRate Limit | Auto |
| System Type | NTSC |
| FrameCap Method | New |
| Draw Method | Bright |
| Alpha Blending Mode | Advanced |
| Bilinear Filtering | Enabled w/o Sprites |
| Alpha Testing | Normal |
| FrameBuffer Access | Read/Write |
| Off-Screen Drawing | Full |
| Polygon Mode | Textured |
| Texture Windows | Enabled |
| VSync | Enabled |
| Banshee Code | Enabled |
| MDEC Format | Texture |
| Experimental Flipping | On | <---------
| Experimental Screen Sizing | Off |
| FrontBuffer Rendering Fix | Off |
| FF7 TextureWindow Fix | On | <-------------
| DMAChain Fix | Long |
*-----------------------------*---------------------*
note the arrows I have marked... The game runs flawlessly for me.. Check my screenshots in the screenshots forum.... NO missing menus...... To enable the game to save to a memcard correctly, press f4 twice when the game has loaded to the title menu.... the ding doesn't happen to me when I load a saved game... check and make sure you don't have conflicting buttons set up in the gamepad config... dont set any of the buttons to these keys: alt or control.....